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Letter: The truth about abortion

By Jim Schwarz, New London on Jul 3, 2009 at 12:00 a.m.

A hideous cartoon in this paper portrayed "pro-life" as murdering abortionist George Tiller. To set the facts straight: Pro-life people believe in the sanctity of life, including the life of George Tiller.

The Fifth Commandment does not read, "Thou shall not kill except for abortionists." Numerous pro-life organizations have condemned his murder just as the Catholic bishops and Missouri Lutheran Synod pastors who spoke out in this forum. Those pastors and Gene Hippe were brave enough and faithful enough to declare abortion what it is; the taking of an individual human life. They called it murder just as did the great Lutheran pastor, martyr and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. If we criticize anyone for the death of George Tiller or those millions of lives terminated by abortion, we must look at ourselves. Those of us who know have not done enough to make abortion unthinkable.

Cardinal Justin Regali has said, "No Catholic can ever say they did not know." Are we silent because we consider abortion too controversial, "too sticky" to oppose? We must end the silence. We must tell the truth about abortion and the many women who suffer for the rest of their lives regretting the decision they made or were coerced into making. We must do all we can to help these women find peace and healing. We must act to support women in difficult pregnancies and poverty so that abortion does not appear to be "the only choice."

We must affirm our love and respect for those whose development is hampered by genetic or congenital defects. Abortions terminate babies. George Tiller specialized in "terminating" babies who suffered from genetic defects, often after they were viable. In some European countries this killing of the imperfect has evolved to "terminating" them after they are born. That is the path we are on.

Many health care workers often face a hostile work environment in terms of abortion and, now, the pressure for euthanasia. Ask yourself what you can do to make abortion unthinkable and rare and oppose the movement toward euthanasia.